England have been outplayed by Spain on their last two meetings - in Madrid in November 2004 and in Manchester in February 2007 - with both encounters ending in 1-0 wins for the Spaniards. Terry admitted that the ability of Spain teams to retain the ball for long periods posed a particular challenge for English players groomed on the helter-skelter style of many Premier League matches.
"They really frustrated us the last time we played them and I think that is at the back of our minds," Terry said. "We have to really press them tomorrow and not let them settle. We have had five or six matches but we have still not fully made up for not getting to the EUROs. But we are going in the right direction, we are getting results and being solid, dogged if you like. It is a nice place to be but there is no doubt tomorrow will be a bit test."
Capello said the clash with Spain would provide a very different test to the one provided by Germany, who were beaten 2-1 by what was effectively a second-string England side in Berlin in November.
"The players are different technically, physically and mentally to Germany's," Capello said. "For me tomorrow will be a very important test because it is not easy for any team to play against Spain. They play with one forward and a lot of players in midfield and they are very good technically. For this reason you have to choose your positions on the field very carefully and press their players a lot.
"We did well against Germany. Now we have to recover that spirit and it will be important to know the value of our team against a different style of play," he added.
Capello all but confirmed that David Beckham would figure at some stage in the match, which will mean he equals Bobby Moore's 108 caps, the record for an outfield player for England. "David Beckham is here because he is playing well with AC Milan," Capello said. "He is important for the group at this moment."